Method of producing visual effects in the air and apparatus therefor



Feb. s

R 15,771 J. c. SAVAGE METHOD OF PRODUCING VISUAL EFFECT? [JR AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Original Film: Dec. 21, 1920 Reiaued Feb. 19, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. SAVAGE, OF BYDE, ISLE OF WIGHT, ENGLAND, ABSIGNOB TO THE SKYWRITING CORPORATION OF AMERICA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

METHOD OF PRODUCING VISUAL EFFFAITS IN THE AIR AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.

Original 11b. 1,428,418, dated August 22, 1822, Serial No. 482,231, filed December 21, 1920. Application for reissue filed April 19, 1923. Serial No. 683,222.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN CLIFFORD Sav- AGE, subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Ryde, Isle of Wi ht England I have invented a new and use 1 ethod o Producing Visual Effects in the Air and Apparatus Therefor, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to aviation and has 1 particular but not exclusive reference to utilizing an aircraft in flight for advertis ing purposes by leaving a visible trail of smoke at intervals during flight and so regulating those intervals and so manoeuvering 1 the aircraft that signs, characters, letters or words are made visible in the air to 0bservers on the ground.

The practical problem is to produce a sufliciently dense and permanent smoke or.

2 smoke-like effect from commercially practicable materials, and I have found that it is impracticable merely to regulate the exhaust ases or the liberation 0 special material min a single container carried on the air- 95 craft. I have found that one solution of this problem is effected through the vaporization of a smoke producing ingredient or material, as for example, hydrocarbon oil, and I illustrate and describe means for efl'ecti the 80 said result through the heat of the ex aust gases.

One of the objects of m invention is to provide means for producing a sufiiciently ense and permanent smoke or equivalent it visible effect for advertising purposes, but by my invention I not only provide in this way means for advertislng and public amusement but also means for scientific demonstration and similar purposes, whereby the path of flight of an aircraft may be traced and made visible and the airflow surrounding the aircraft may be explored and whereby by suitably disposing and arran ing the nozzle or nozzles whereat the smo e reducing materials are emitted an air on may be given the appearance of being in flames.

The apparatus herein shown and described comprises an aircraft having two or more separate receptacles in which are stored different materials which when released and brought into reaction or admixture with one another either apart from or in conjunction with the engine exhaust gases, produce a smoke or equivalent visible medium. For example one material may be finely divided carbon and the other material may be oil which may be vaporized in the engine exhaust passa e before the carbon is mixed with it. Ot er materials may of course be used and in fact the material in each of the two or more receptacles may be gaseous, liquid or solid, the essential condition being that when released and brought into contact with each other the Will produce a visible medium. The disc arge or emission from the receptacles may be regulated in any suitable manner as by valves under. the control of the pilot or other occupant of the aircraft, and an air current derived from the fli ht of the aircraft may conveniently be uti 126d to aid the emission, and control the direction and distribution of the released substances, or the stream of exhaust en 'ne gases may be utilized.

e above features of the invention and such others as are incidental thereto or. hereinafter appear will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which represent one embodiment of the invention in an aeroplane.

In these drawings Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side sectional elevation of an aeroplane equipped with means for carrying out my invention.

Figure 2 is a rear elevation.

Fi ure 3 is an enlarged sectional view of one orm of one of the receptacles hereinbefore referred to.

In the fuselage 1 of the aeroplane the receptacle 2 is arranged having a flap valve 3 at the base connected by a rod 4 with a hand lever 5 to enable the pilot to operate the valve 3 as desired. In addition to the valve 3 an ad'ustable valve or shutter 23 may be provi ed to regulate the eflective opening of the base of the receptacle. When the valveis moved to the open position the contents ofthe receptacle 2 escape downwards into; a passage 6 extending rearwardl beneath the fuselage as shown. An air co lecting chute 7 may be fixed beneath the fuselage in advance of the exit of the receptacle to collect air and direct it in a stream along the passage 6, the material emerging from the receptacle 2 being mixed with the air stream and conveyed by it to the nozzle of the assage whence it eventually escapes and is left in space.

The material in the receptacle 2 may consist of finely divided carbon or an appropriate colour in powdered form or it may be a compound of such a character that a scintillating or sparkling effect will be produced in the air. The released substance is mixed with or sprayed in to a stream or streams of another substance or substances capable of reacting or mixing with the first substance to produce a visible medium. One such arrangement for this purpose is shown in Figures 1 and 2 where the exhaust gases from the engine 8 are led to the rear by two exhaust pipes 9 or by a single exhaust pipe so arranged that the exhaust gases escape symmetrically in the region of the nozzle of the assage 6, and a reservoir 10 having an outiiet tap 11 under the control of the ilot or other occupant is provided to enab e oil or other liquid to be admitted to the exhaust pipe to vaporize therein and mix with the stream of exhaust gases to produce a mixture of gases, vaporized li uid, and powdered or other material.

y suitably manceuvering the machine and controlling the discharge of the substances from the receptacle, any appropriate sign, character, letter or word may be formed in the air, such sign or the like bein visible from the ground for a considerab e distance. 7

A further application of the invention is to the quantitative and qualitative investigation of the conditions of the air and the behaviour of the air fiow surrounding various parts of an aircraft in fli ht. For this purpose the means employe and the operations as above described can readily be ap' lied, the visible medium being conducts for this purpose by a conduit or conduits to those portions of the aircraft in the vicinit of which it is desired to explore the air ow and released through suitably arranged and directed nozzles or jets. The rate of emission is preferably governable either automatically or by the occupant of the aircraft so that the speed of emission is equivalent to the relative airspeed the emission itself being capable of being interrupted at the will of the occupant.

With regard to the materials used in the receptacles they may be either solid liquids or gaseous as already stated, the essential condition being that the will react or mix with each other in sue a manner-as to create a dense smoke effect. For instance one of the materials used in the specific example above described is a liquid namely an oil and this is va orized in the exhaust gas passage, while t e other material is a solid namely powdered carbon and this is conveyed into admixture and suspension with the vaporized oil by an air current. Obviously however other substances in other physical condition might be used. For instance a gas or liquid chemically reacting with the vaporized oil to yield a dense smoke might be used in place of the powdered carbon mixing therewith.

What I claim is 1. The method of-producing advertising signs comprising alphabetical letters, words, and designs, suspended in the air, which consists in the production or storing in an aeroplane of a smoke-like material of persistent visibility and manoeuvering said plane in paths corresponding with the form of the desired sign, whilst emittin a trail of said smoke-like material at such eight and in such volume that an advertisement is formed readable with the naked eye by persons distant on the earth.

2. As an aeronautic product, an advertising sign comprising a combination of alphabetical letters, words, or a desi composed of smoke suspended in the air and in form readable with the naked eye by persons distant on the earth.

3. Means for producing smoke efiects in midair by means of an aircraft, comprising the combination with the aircraft, of a plurality of separate receptacles carried thereby, different materials therein capable by admixture or chemical reaction of producin a dense smoke effect, and means governable at the will of an occupant for regulating the emission of said materials, the aircraft being manoeuvered to enable signs, letters, advertising and other eflects to be produced in mid air b the regulated smoke.

4. Means or producing smoke effects in midair by means of aircraft, comprising the combination with the aircraft, of a plurality of receptacles carried thereby, a vaporizable hydrocarbon oil in one receptacle, a difierent material in another receptacle, and means governable at the will of the occupant for regulating the emission of said materials.

5. Means for producing smoke effects in midair by means of aircraft, comprising the combination with the aircraft, of a plurality of receptacles carried thereby, a vaporizable hydrocarbon oil in one receptacle, means for vaporizing said oil when released, a different material in another reoeptacle, and means govcrnable at the will of the occupant for regulating the emission of said materials.

6. Means for producing smoke efiects in midair by means of aircraft, comprising the combination with the aircraft, of a plurality of receptacles carried thereby, a vaporizable hydrocarbon oil in one receptacle, finely divided carbon in another receptacle, means for diffusing the carbon when released among the oil when released,

and means governable at. the will of the occupant for regulating the emission of said materials.

7. Means for producing smoke efl'ects in midair by means of aircraft, comprising the combination with the aircraft, of a plurality of receptacles carried thereby, a vaporizable hydrocarbon oil in one receptacle, finely divided carbon in another receptacle, means for utilizing the exhaust gases of the aircraft to vaporize the oil when released, means for conveying the carbon when released into dispersed contact with the vaporized oil, and means governable at the will of the occupant for regulating the 15 emission of saidmater'ials.

8. Means of producing smoke effects in midair by means of aircraft, comprising the combination with the aircraft, of a lurality of receptacles carried there- 20 y, materials therein smokeroducing when released and brought to t er, and means governable at the will 0 the occupant for regulating the emission of said materials.

JOHN C. SAVAGE.

Witnesses:

W. LEE Hnnus, Gonnon R. Fnmows.

Certificate of Correction.

It is hereby certified that in lh-iesm- Letters Patent No. IJJTL granted Fol)- ruury 19 1924, upon the npplimtiun ul' .luhn Savage of Ryilm Isle of \Vight England, for an improvement in Methmls of lrmluring Visual llfl'erts in the. Air and Apparatus 'lherefur," an error appears in the printed specifiration re quiring correction as follows: Page "'3. line 76, claim 1, for the word and read or; and that the said Letters Patent should he read with this Correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the rase in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 1st day of April, A. D. 1924.

[REAL] KARL FENNING,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

